Sick Kids
by kevin the bird
Summary: "Go to sleep, sweetheart. It'll make you feel better," she said quietly. Donna nodded her head and moved her arm so it was resting against Kitty's stomach, her thumb wondering to her mouth.


Having two sick kids under the age of ten wasn't always easy, even for a nurse. Luckily, Laurie was a daddy's girl and Eric was a mommy's boy. It made it easier for both parents, especially Kitty, who would be the only one watching the sick kids if it where up to Red. He wasn't fond of dealing with sick kids. Not because he didn't want to deal with them, but because he hated seeing them like that. They where so helpless and he couldn't do anything to take the sickness away from them. But he knew that Kitty wouldn't be happy with him if he left it up to her, so he agreed to help.

At that moment, they where both downstairs, watching TV, Red sitting on the avocado chair with eight-year-old Laurie nestled into his chest and six-year-old Eric cuddling with his mother on the couch. There happened to be a children's program on that both kids liked so they where as content as sick children can be. That's when Bob and Midge walked in, Midge carrying their sick six-year-old. If they weren't so worried about their little girl, they wouldn't have come over. But because they couldn't help her and she wasn't getting any better, they decided to walk over and ask the nurse and good friend. Both Forman parents looked over as they walked into the living room. Kitty quickly noticed how pale Donna was.

"Is she sick too?" she asked immediately. If she didn't have a sick child cuddled into her, she would have stood up, but she didn't want to move him.

"Nothing seems to be working to make her feel better," Midge said. She was obviously tired from not sleeping the night before. Unlike the Foreman kids, Donna Pinciotti didn't sleep well when she was sick, so she had kept her parents up all night.

"Bring her over here, sweetie," Kitty said as she sat up from the couch, Eric still nestled into her comfortably. Midge brought her daughter over to the nurse and sat down next to her. Kitty rested the back of her hand against Donna's forehead and immediately noticed she was burning up. "She has a fever. How long has she been sick?" Donna cuddled into her mother's embrace, wanting the heat that was radiating from her.

"It got really bad yesterday afternoon," Midge said. That sounded about right to Kitty. Both her kids had also gotten really sick the day before as well.

"Yeah, that's about when these two got sick," Kitty replied, indicating her two kids. "Why don't you keep her here and we can quarantine them so no one else gets sick," she added. She also knew that the Pinciotti's could use some time to catch up on their rest. Bob and Midge looked gratefully at their neighbors.

"You would really do that?" Bob asked, surprised at the offer. He didn't think the Forman's liked them.

"You two look tired," Kitty replied as she nodded her head and laughed softly. "Our kids sleep really well when they're sick and from the looks of it, Donna doesn't. We'll watch her for tonight and you can get some rest," she added. Both Midge and Bob thanked the two of them and left the house, leaving three sick kids in the care of Kitty and Red. Before Donna and Eric could get comfortable, Kitty stood up. "I'm going to go get some blankets for them," she said to Red before walking up the stairs to the closet she kept all the blankets. When she got a few for the two kids on the couch and one for Laurie, she walked back downstairs and handed one to Red.

Red immediately started to move Laurie and she started to whimper.

"It's okay, sweetie," he said softly and soothingly. "I'm just going to wrap you in this blanket," he said. Laurie let her father do so and immediately cuddled back into his chest when she was safely wrapped in the blanket. He kissed her head and rubbed his hands against her back.

"I love you, Daddy," she said quietly, her eyes drooping with sleep.

"I love you too, kitten," Red replied, his hand still drawing small circles on his daughter's back. Kitty watched the entire thing as she sat herself back down on the couch, Donna and Eric on both sides of her. They both scooted as close to her body as they could, wanting some extra heat. She draped a blanket over the two kids and across her lap. She smiled at her husband and daughter cuddling and looked down at the two kids that where cuddled into her.

"Do you want anything, sweetheart?" Kitty asked Donna, who had her head resting against the maternal figure's chest.

"Don't get up," Eric whimpered before Donna could say anything. Donna nodded her head in agreement at Eric's comment.

"Okay," Kitty said as she laughed. "I won't get up," she said as she looked at her baby boy, who was nestled as close as he could get into his mother. She kissed his head and let her arm wrap around his small frame. She then looked back at Donna, who looked like she was on the verge of sleep at any moment. Kitty moved a strand of hair away from her face and let her hand wonder to Donna's back, softly rubbing it. "Go to sleep, sweetheart. It'll make you feel better," she said quietly. Donna nodded her head and moved her arm so it was resting against Kitty's stomach, her thumb wondering to her mouth. Her parents where trying to break her from her habit of sucking her thumb, but they weren't there and she didn't feel good. Kitty smiled down at Donna as she watched her fall asleep, her eyes fluttering close. She then looked at Eric and noticed had also fallen asleep. She wasn't surprised that he had already fallen asleep. He was a good sleeper, but an even better one when he was sick. After a minute of just watching him sleep, Kitty looked over at her husband and daughter. She couldn't tell if Laurie was asleep, but from the slow, deep breaths she was taking, she figured she was.

"Is she sleeping?" she asked. Red looked over at his wife and smiled. He nodded his head.

"She already likes her sleep," he said, jokingly. He knew she was sick, but he had to crack a joke. "Just like her mother," he added. Kitty made a face at Red and laughed. Red made a face back and the two of them stayed there, cuddling with their respective kids for the rest of the day.


End file.
